It was harder than he could've imagined. Jake, especially, did not handle the news well and after fighting through the tears and the wails that modeled the production Jason had left behind him upstairs, he finally got through to his son that he'd never leave him, but he couldn't live there anymore. They sat together on the couch, Aiden had run to the arms of his mother who'd descended and stood at the bottom of the stairs to watch, her wet cheeks staying hydrated as the tear production went into overdrive. Cameron had gotten upset at seeing her cry and stormed off to the kitchen. They were understandably confused and agitated…one minute they'd been a happy family planning on a life where they were all together…the next he was leaving and their mother was a mess.

Jason faced his son as he purposely ignored Elizabeth's controlling show for pity.

"I'll still see you all the time and we'll do everything that we do together now, I promise. We'll just be living in separate houses from now on."

"But why, dad? Don't you love us anymore?"

Jason's heart was breaking and he knew it was going to be the hardest thing he'd ever have to do to break their little hearts too, but it had to be done. It would not benefit them to have him stay just for them, to have them witness the unhappiness and tension that would undoubtedly result from an unwanted and uncommitted alliance. No, he had to go. But he had to make them okay first.

"That's never going to change, Jake. Nothing in this world could make me stop loving you - you're my son. I love you and your brothers, always."

"Then why leave? We can be a family like you promised."

"He's right, Jason. Please don't leave! You promised us we'd always be together - how can you do this?"

Ignoring the gutted, weepy voice of the woman he once thought was above petty manipulations and would always put the welfare of the boys first, Jason concentrated on answering his son's pain.

"I'm not leaving you, son. I'm never leaving you, but sometimes grown ups fall out of love with each other and when that happens, they can't live together anymore. It ends up hurting everybody when they force a situation that's no good for anyone. That has nothing to do with how I feel about you and your brothers, do you understand?"

"So now you don't love me anymore? How can you do this to me, Jason? How can you leave our family because of Sam?"

Her hysterics had drawn from the bottom of the stairs to just behind the couch and he could feel the situation escalating. It was the last thing he wanted in front of the boys, so kissing the top of his son's head, Jason stood to this feet.

"I'll come see you tomorrow, okay Jake? We'll talk it all out, I promise."

Grabbing the duffles from where he'd placed them at his feet, Jason pushed past Elizabeth who'd let go of Aiden and was making an attempt to block his path, her red, puffy eyes and tear streaked face warped with anger and something else he didn't care enough to decipher. That she would try to throw Sam under the bus with the boys showed him what type of hand she was planning to play, but she'd get no ammunition from him to fuel her hateful games. Making his way to the kitchen, he found Cameron nursing a glass of water where he stood looking out the window at the dark night. With a sigh, Jason blocked out the sound of Aiden calling for Mommy, as he leant on the counter near Cameron, to have one final chat before he'd make his exit out the back door.

"You're a little older than the other boys so I'll give it to you straight, Cameron. I'm remembering some things about my life and it changes alot of things for me. It doesn't change how I feel about you and your brothers though - you believe that, right?"

When the teen nodded without breaking his blank stare out the window, Jason's heart hurt for the pain he knew he was feeling. He remembered before he moved in with them how Cameron seemed to feel responsible for his mother's happiness and was bent on being the man of the house. Jason knew he was feeling like that again now, and sorry as he was for it, he couldn't let that make him stay. Too much was happening, too much was at stake. Signing on for a life where they all walked on eggshells and made do with what they had, rather than make room for what they needed, wouldn't work out well at all. Goodbyes hurt…but they were sometimes necessary.

"It changes how you feel about my mother, though, right?"

The quiet query was on the mark, but Jason would never make him question his own feelings for his mother. Just because he didn't want a life with her didn't mean he didn't want her children to have a happy one and continue to see her in the best light.

"This is not the right situation for either of us. Your mother will be happier too…in a little while she'll see that it was the right thing for everybody."

"I wonder who's next?"

"What do you mean?"

Cameron looked down to the sink where he rested the glass and sighed, his young shoulders sagging with the weight of what Jason gleaned from his next statement, to be his mother's choices.

"Every year she gets this urge to find us a new pops. Apparently it was your turn again."

"Again?"

"It's not the first time she tried to give you the job. But just like last time, you wanted your other family more."

"That's not what this is, Cam."

"No? I heard my mom telling Laura that no matter what she does or how hard she tries, you always leave her for Sam. Sounds like it to me."

"Listen to me. I can't control what your mother thinks or how she behaves…she's an adult. But I don't want you boys blaming Sam for me leaving…she doesn't know anything about it."

"You were bound to leave anyway. My dad left, Ric left, AJ left…they all said they'd stay but they didn't. She'll move in somebody else pretty soon, until it's your turn again. You all take turns - you leave for a little while and then you come back."

That had to be the saddest thing he'd ever heard, and as Jason watched the young teen turn from him and make his way out of the kitchen, he felt a realization that this had been brewing for some time. Something had always felt off for him in the house - like it was never quite home! He'd chalked it down to his general state of unease that was an embodiment of the constant blankness that was his unknown life, but now, when he pulled open the kitchen door and stepped out into the cold night, the sense of freedom that washed him was almost giddying! It felt like liberation from a life where he'd been trapped within walls of confinement and mindless duty, the uninformed promises breaking away from him like shackles, to set him free. The feeling was familiar. Had he been imprisoned before this?

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Sam pulled up to the grey building on the outskirts of the city, flanked on all sides by snowy banks and leafless trees that would keep it hidden at the height of their plumage. The secluded location lent itself well to the privacy boasted by the institution that held discretely to that privacy she'd attempted to unveil from home. When she got nowhere over the phone nor by email, she planned the overnight trip to New Hampshire.

As she rounded on the front door, Sam looked around and at once was reminded of a visit she'd paid to a similar institution many years before…when the man she loved worked tirelessly to give her answers about her own adoption. With the help of Stan's expertise, Jason had traced her records and had taken her himself to Maine, where they uncovered her shocking relation to Alexis Davis.

The front door swung open just as she reached for the knob and Sam had to step quickly to the side in order to avoid a collision with the racing young woman tearing through, running blindly to get away. Leaning her head to find the source of her dismay, Sam stepped back again when she was followed closely by a lanky young man who soon caught up to her on the snow covered lawn and gathered her weeping form in his arms. Already the place was proving engaging!

Twenty minutes later Sam was on her way back to the SUV, without any specific information whatsoever, but armed with what she came for nonetheless. Just as she'd expected, she'd been greeted with the usual "We can't release that information. We pride ourselves on securing the privacy of our clients," and she hadn't expected anything less, but client information wasn't exactly what she came for. Finding out where they kept it, was.

She drove to the nearby hotel and checked in, then checked on Danny at her mom's, before she got comfortable. She'd be able to get a few hours sleep while she waited for the agency to shut down for the night. Now that her keen observation skills, used during a fishing conversation with the receptionist had located where in the building they kept the records, she'd be in and out and on her way back to Port Charles by midnight.

It was just after eleven when Sam pulled up and parked near the trees, where she turned the SUV off and watched the building for ten minutes to make sure there was absolutely no activity about. When she was sure she was alone, she exited and pulled the gloves on that matched the rest of the midnight-black, second skin she'd donned for the job. She neared the side entrance, feeling the familiar rush of adrenaline she got from being covert, eyes darting around to double check she had no company. She loved these old towns…the need to preserve the integrity of their history usually led to very lax security for the most part, making her job so much easier. When the lock easily gave way to her constantly improving picking skills, Sam entered quickly and looked for the alarm panel she'd noted from earlier, only to find that it was unarmed!

She extinguished the tiny flashlight and stood perfectly still, allowing the shadows to cover as she listened keenly for any sound from the dead silence. It was one thing to appreciate Lady Luck giving her one so she wouldn't have to engage the handy device she'd brought to override the system, but it was another to believe without hesitation, that they'd forgotten to arm it altogether. Although she hadn't seen another car outside, someone could still be there. A tense minute passed during which she didn't move an inch, and then she heard it. Footsteps above her on the second floor and whistling! Someone working later than she anticipated? Not likely - it was almost midnight! Security Guard, perhaps? Deciding it didn't really matter, Sam made her way around the corner and down the hall to the room she'd identified earlier as the file room, making quick work of that lock as well, as she kept an ear on the sounds above. If he stayed up there long enough, she'd get what she came for and be gone before he ever knew he'd had company.

Turning the flashlight back on, Sam swept the room and neared the huge cabinets in the corner. Who the hell still kept paper records? She'd seen the receptionist using both forms earlier that day - paper files next to her computer and the electronic archive she accessed when she took a phone call in the middle of their conversation. More than likely, they'd converted to electronic files in recent years and were probably still in the process of scanning the paper ones to combine the two. Some of these old world towns had to be dragged into the new century kicking and screaming, as they honored and revered the heritage and principles they were built on. Some accepted the new, only when they found themselves getting left behind as the world transformed everywhere around them.

Like she suspected, the twenty-seven year old files were among the paper. Dammit - she was really hoping to be able to get a quick scan to a flashdrive and be out, but then again, she wouldn't have to worry about having to break passwords to get to the information either.

"You just have to be quick, Sam." She whispered beneath her breath as she picked the lock on the cabinet she identified with the client's maiden name. Finding the file within seconds, she laid the pages out on the desk and frisked the tiny camera from her pants pocket to start shooting. Dammit - holding the flashlight in one hand and using the other to capture the images and turn the pages was taking time. If only she could turn a light on…but she couldn't risk it when she knew she wasn't alone.

She'd just finished capturing most everything - birth certificate, footprints, medical records for both mother and baby, application and background check for both adoptive parents…when she heard footsteps just outside the door! Shit! She'd stopped listening for her companion as she concentrated on capturing the most vital documents. As Sam eyed the door quickly, she noted the crack beneath it, just as she heard the clinking of keys entering the lock.

Switching off the flashlight, she hurriedly dashed behind the tall server that was the only item in the room not pushed all the way up against the wall, thanking her stars that it was taller than she was. Instantly the room flooded with light that blinded Sam for a moment, as she listened to the footsteps that drew closer inside, just before she looked over and saw the open file she'd left scattered on the desk. Closing her eyes and giving herself a mental kick, she registered the footsteps approaching the desk, where he'd no doubt observed the open file as well.

"I know you're in here. Come out with your hands up or I'll plug you right where you are."

Shit! Damn paper files! It had been so long that she'd had to deal with them, she'd forgotten to grab everything when she moved! Sighing softly, Sam set her brain to work on the current situation. Can't do anything about that shit now.

"Okay, I'm coming out. I'm not armed."

She stepped slowly from behind the large silver unit to find the stout guard with his gun held out in one hand as he rested the other on the flashlight in his belt. His dark eyes danced over her as shock registered on his round face and twitched the shaggy beard and mustache into a warped smile.

"Well, I'll be damned. What's a pretty little thing like you doing breaking and entering?"

Sam shrugged her shoulders as she summed up the size she could use to her advantage. She was sure she was quicker than him…she just had to get him out the way of the door at his back. He'd edged to the door after checking the open file, and that gave him the advantage. That, plus the Beretta pointed at her chest!

"Just got lost that's all." She didn't really care what she told him - he wouldn't buy anything at this point, so she just needed to keep him talking and get him away from the door. He was armed but she was quick.

"Lost? On your way to where, exactly?"

He kept drawing closer to her and Sam slowly stepped her way to the side of him, keeping her hands neutrally raised to show him her palms. She shrugged her shoulders and blinded him with her brightest smile, "The ladies room?"

His face hardened and he waved the gun in front of her. "Okay, cut the crap and tell me what you're doing here? This is private property and I've already called the cops, so start talking."

"Since when are security guards packing? You guarding states secrets in this place?" She eyed him dubiously, "What exactly goes on behind these doors? You know what, you're right - I'll wait for the cops." Sam put her arms down and rested against the edge of the desk, hoping her relaxed form would lower his guard.

She was right. As soon as she relaxed, so did he, lowering the gun only slightly, but relaxing his shoulders and his voice as he shook his head at her.

"That's not how it works! I ask the questions and you answer. Who are you?"

She pursed her lips and shrugged, "Me? I'm nobody!"

"Real cute!" He waved the gun at her, "Let's see some id!"

Smiling slyly, Sam locked his eyes then looked down at herself comically. "Does it look like I can fit much into this outfit?" She looked back up at him, seeing what she'd wanted unfolding when his eyes followed hers to sweep her all black, tightly clad, voluptuous body. The drawl was seductive as she continued to relax against the desk, watching him draw even nearer, slowly. The lascivious smile that curled his lips turned her stomach but gave her what she wanted.

"You have a point there. They don't make them like you around here, that's for sure. You came up from…"

Before he knew what hit him, Sam had railed up from the desk, stepping quickly to the side of him as she whirled and sent her foot flying out to connect to the gun, sending it flying across the room to slide between the rows of boxes in one corner. Without hesitation she was through the open doorway and racing for the exit, hearing him behind her but sure the portly guard would not be able to keep up. She threw the side door open and hit the lawn running, alarmed the next minute to find herself sliding on the way to the ground when she hit an unexpected patch of ice. Quickly bending her knees and digging her heels to regain balance, she narrowly escaped going all the way down, instead allowing the ice to slide her boots across the patch that ended in powder at the edge of the thicket.

"Come back here! Stop! You little…"

Sam listened to the waning shouts as she tore down the drive on her way to the SUV, unlocking and starting the engine with the remote starter before she jumped in behind the wheel. She took one last look to his still approaching form that kept chase, puffing hard as his steps slowed and she tooted her horn, backing speedily to the main road, where she threw the SUV into gear and sped towards the highway.

"Goodnight New Hampshire!"

By daybreak she'd be back in the comforts of her home, making her son eggs and teddybear waffles for breakfast. The thought brought a warm smile to Sam's face as she calmed the adrenaline still shooting through her and steered the SUV towards home. She'd really missed the rush she got from working a case, the excitement of thinking through the unexpected popups, surviving the human errors. Speaking of, by morning they'd figure out what she was after by the file she'd left out - a rookie mistake she chided herself for, but not a costly one. She had the information she needed to track down the adoptee, and even if they contacted her first, that wouldn't stop Sam from finding her now. But she'd need to warn her clients first thing in the morning, just in case someone from the clinic was working with their new found daughter and tipped her off too.